


Staubrey: Flood

by ExercisingMyInnerWriter



Series: Staubrey: Flood [1]
Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-02 06:58:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16300256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExercisingMyInnerWriter/pseuds/ExercisingMyInnerWriter
Summary: Stacie visits Aubrey at The Lodge of the Fallen Leaves and the two friends are flooded in together.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Change from canon: Stacie went on the USO tour with the Bellas and Beca actually told Chloe how she felt after the competition. I should probably watch the third movie at some point, but really, I just want to live in that happy little bubble where Bechloe is A Thing and heteronormative bullshit and queer baiting from Warner doesn’t exist.

“Isn’t it better to tell her how you feel?” Aubrey asked. “Get it all out into the open? If she says no, you move on with your life, you heal, you get over it. It’ll suck, yeah, but at least you won’t be in this limbo. But you’ll never know if she’d say yes if you don’t take the risk.”

Beca dragged her eyes away from Chloe across the bar and back to Aubrey. Emily, Stacie, Jessica, and Ashley all nodded agreement with the blonde’s hushed words of encouragement. With one final glance at each of their faces, Beca took a deep breath. She blew it out with a firm nod before standing up and striding over to tell her best friend that she was in love with her.

~A~

The rain sheeted down, definitively ending the Georgian drought as only the remnants of a dying hurricane could. A lone figure tramped up through the rivulets of mud that had once been the paths of The Lodge at Fallen Leaves, finally reaching the relative safety of the cabin. Aubrey Posen dragged her hood back and shucked her rain gear off while still on the porch, being careful to shake as much mud and water off of each piece before taking them inside. Aubrey grabbed the towel that she’d left by the door and began drying off while running down the To Do list she’d written out over the last few days while preparing for the storm.

“Reservations rescheduled or transfered,” she mumbled, “food, water, gas, oil all stocked. Generators ready to go. Truck in the garage, sand bags made, put out, holding up well.” The tall blonde moved further into the cabin as she continued triple checking that everything was done. As long as she’d done everything she could to lock down the retreat, there would be nothing left but a nature-created few days off in which she could indulge in sleeping in, reading, and a few long, hot baths, and plenty of tea and hot chocolate. Aubrey pushed away the niggling doubt that she had still forgotten something by going over her list yet again.

The cabin had weathered many similar storms over the years Mr. and Mrs. Davis, the previous owners, had assured her when they heard of the storm coming. Aubrey appreciated that they were so willing to keep in touch and offer their advice and wisdom since she had finally purchased the retreat from them officially earlier that year. They had come to be like family to Aubrey over the few years she had worked under them. She fished her phone out of her pocket, dialing them up to assure them that the lake had yet to overflow its banks, but that yes, the sandbags were already lining Fallen Leaves Creek for when that inevitably spilled over later. Yes, the fire department knew she was staying at the lodge and yes, she had a canoe ready, just in case she needed to rescue herself.

They had nothing new to add to her list and so, with a resigned sigh, Aubrey set about her evening routine, several hours earlier than usual. Workout, stretch, shower, food. She hesitated in front of the fridge, that doubt about missing something flashing through her mind again. Aubrey chewed her lip, trying desperately to remember what it was and why she couldn’t remember it, but it was gone again. She closed the fridge and opened it again, as if that act alone could summon up the stray thought so she could examine it.

A knock on the door made Aubrey nearly jump out of her skin with a yelp. Then it clicked. She’d never called Stacie. Never let her know that they were closing the Lodge this week. Aubrey bolted to the door and threw it open and, sure enough, Stacie Conrad stood on her porch. She knew her jaw was hanging open because Stacie only chuckled. “It’s, uh, a bit wet out here, Captain,” Stacie said by way of greeting, indicating the torrential downpour behind her. “I hope you don’t mind but I pulled my Sub in next to the truck. Figured it was the best place for it.”

“I never called you,” Aubrey said quietly. “I am so sorry.”

Stacie raised an eyebrow, looking at the blonde curiously. “Were you supposed to?” she asked. “I meant to text when I left my apartment, but honestly forgot. Wanted to get here before the roads got bad. They’ve, well, they’ve gotten bad.”

Aubrey blinked a few times before realizing her friend was still standing on the porch. “Jesus Stace, come in, get dry,” she said, waving her Stacie in and stepping aside. “Did you make it safe?” she asked.

It was Stacie’s turn to blink. After a moment, she shrugged, and deposited the bags that Aubrey hadn’t noticed yet. “I mean, I’m here. Definitely not a drive I want to repeat right now, but nothing’s flooded out yet. Ground is a bit too dry and the rain is just pouring over the dirt without really sinking in, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the flooding is bad but recedes quick, you know? You alright, Aubs?” She removed her boots and raincoat before grabbing the offered towel.

“I meant to call,” Aubrey responded with a wince, by way of explanation. “We rescheduled everyone for the week and closed down. You’ll be stuck here.”

Stacie simply shrugged. “I’ve got off this week, remember? I needed a break from the lab and I’d rather spend it here, flooded in with my friend, than alone in my apartment,” she said. After a moment, she froze, “Unless, of course, I’m cock-blocking you,” she added quickly, glancing around to assure herself that they were, in fact, alone in the cabin.

Aubrey glanced around her cabin too, confused. “Cock-blocking?” she muttered before shaking herself out of it. “It’s good you’re here, Stace. I’m glad you came, even though it was a stupid thing to do in this weather.”

“Aww you do care,” Stacie said, throwing her arms around Aubrey and pulling her into a hug. “God, I’ve missed you. I brought wine, fancy cheese, and some movies, since I figured we won’t be doing much stuff outside given the weather.” She kissed the blonde on the cheek before grabbing the bags of supplies and hauling them into the kitchen space, separated out from the rest of the open floor plan by the counter.

It took Aubrey a few moments to readjust her mental plans for the week. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that Stacie was supposed to come and that the other woman had planned on making use of the spa facilities and time on the lake while Aubrey worked, and that they were going to hang out in the evenings once Aubrey was done with her daily duties. Somehow, she’d gotten her weeks mixed up because she could have sworn that Stacie was coming next week. Luckily, Stacie being around didn’t really change Aubrey’s plans too much. She still planned on sleeping in, reading, and taking long, hot baths; she knew Stacie wouldn’t mind and probably had plenty of reading of her own to do. Her mental readjustments made, Aubrey finally breathed a relaxed sigh.

She helped Stacie unpack the bags, grabbing a cutting board, cheese knife, and a selection of crackers to go with the cheese, olives, sausages, and other assorted finger foods that Stacie had brought for them. Stacie fetched wine glasses, a bottle opener, and the stack of movies before they headed to the couch. “Let’s see. I was feeling the fantasy, sci-fi vibes so I grabbed a weird selection,” Stacie mumbled, laying out the choices on the low coffee table. “Gattaca, 1997, Uma Thurman, Ethan Hawke. Uh. Galaxy Quest, 1999, Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, I know you like him,” she said, pointing to each one. “Alien, 1979, because Sigourney Weaver again. A Knight’s Tale, 2001, Heath Ledger and a bombshell cast, both of the new Star Wars films, since I know you haven’t seen them yet, the first Hobbit-”

“Do I have to have seen Lord of the Rings before I see the Hobbit movies?” Aubrey cut in. Stacie’s horrified gasp made her glance up. She almost laughed at how scandalized the other woman looked, but managed to bite her cheek. She held up a hand, stalling Stacie’s next comment. “Yes, I’m serious. No, I’ve never seen them.” This time she did laugh when Stacie’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

“That’s it,” Stacie said, sweeping the other movies off of the coffee table and onto the floor. “We are watching The Fellowship of the Ring. Extended edition.”

Aubrey’s eyes crawled up her forehead. “Extended? That’s a thing?” she asked bemused, but Stacie shushed her and went back to the door to grab her overnight bag. She watched in fascination as the other woman dragged her laptop out and pulled up the movie before plugging her computer into the TV. “Didn’t realize my TV could do that,” she mused, never really using it for much with her full work schedule. Stacie disappeared for a moment, so Aubrey took the opportunity to open up the bottle of wine and pour out a glass for each of them and start slicing into the cheese. She barked with laughter when the other woman reappeared with the blankets and pillows off of her bed and dumped them onto the couch.

“It’s six PM now,” Stacie said, glancing at her watch. “Unless we decide to pause halfway through to get more snacks, or make real food, we should be done around ten, which isn’t too bad, if I do say so myself. You might want a bathroom run now, before we get started,” she added as an afterthought. “Also I stole one of your flannels.”

Aubrey was speechless for a moment. “Four hours?” she repeated slowly, making sure she had calculated that right.

“Yeah. And two more after that. You’re lucky I’m not making you watch all three right now. Go pee and then get your cute butt back here. We have an adventure to go on.”


	2. Chapter 2

~S~

Stacie had to admit that she’d been worried by the storm as she drove through the rain towards The Lodge of the Fallen Leaves. She had seen the social media blast that went out earlier stating that the Lodge would be closed due to impending flooding, but had decided to ignore it. Aubrey was her former Bella Captain, now a close friend, and the only Bella that Stacie lived within driving distance of. They had grown closer in the several years since Worlds and Stacie’s graduation, when Stacie had landed a full time lab gig analyzing new chemicals at GSK’s Atlanta location. She had crawled up the ranks, and was now assistant lab manager in charge of making those new chemicals. GSK had just extended the offer for Stacie to pursue graduate school at Georgia Tech on their dime, if she agreed to sign a five year contract with them. It was a good offer, Stacie knew, but she needed advice before she took them up on it. And so, here she was, ignoring the weather report, and driving in a hurricane to visit her friend and captain.

If she was really being honest with herself, which, of course, she totally wasn’t, there was another reason she was driving out in weather like this. There was that small, teeny, tiny little problem of having fallen head over heels for Aubrey sometime in the seven years that they had known each other, and the brunette cherished every moment they got together. Not in any sort of weird way, or anything. She cherished any moments with any of the Bellas, of course. She turned down the radio while she looked for her turn, not because it was playing some stupid, sappy romantic pop song that reminded her of Aubrey. That would be ridiculous.

Stacie breathed a sigh of relief she hadn’t known she was holding when she finally turned onto the very long, winding driveway to the Lodge of the Fallen Leaves. It was eerie, the lights being out in the outbuildings and it made it harder to navigate in the weird half light of the hurricane rain. After what felt like forever, Stacie found herself at the garage. Given the weather, she assumed Dan would have his personal vehicle at home, so she hopped out and ran over to punch in the door code. Sure enough, the Lodge pick-up was pulled in one bay and Stacie parked in the other. She fetched her duffel bag and the food she’d bought on the way over before making a mad dash for the cabin porch. She couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her lips when she nearly slipped in the mud, catching her balance only when her feet hit the solid wood of the porch.

Stacie took a moment to compose herself, dropping her bags so that she could pull back her hood. She was soaked despite the rain coat but she didn’t care. She was absolutely giddy with excitement. Finally, Stacie brought her hand up and rapped her knuckles on the door, tapping out her usual shave-and-a-haircut. She bit back a laugh when she heard a yelp followed almost immediately by a mad scramble. Suddenly, the door was flung open and Stacie blinked in the sudden light. After a moment she really did laugh, a bit nervously. She must look a sight, she reasoned, for in the door stood Aubrey, completely speechless at her presence. “It’s, uh, a bit wet out here, Captain,” Stacie said, waving a vague hand behind her by way of explanation. “I hope you don’t mind but I pulled my Sub in next to the truck. Figured it was the best place for it.”

It took a few minutes for Aubrey’s shock to wear off, but her hosting skills took over and Stacie was soon inside, dried off, and they were preparing h'orderves together in the kitchen. She grabbed the wine, glasses, and a stack of movies that she had plucked off of her shelf at home, knowing full well that Aubrey’s taste in movies was limited, before heading over to the couch.

That’s when Aubrey had dropped the bomb on her. “Do I have to have seen Lord of the Rings before I see the Hobbit movies?” Aubrey cut in, entirely derailing Stacie’s next thought. She couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her own lips and watched, almost as if in a dream as Aubrey looked up at her. Stacie felt her jaw drop at Aubrey’s next comment. “Yes, I’m serious. No, I’ve never seen them.”

There was nothing for it, Stacie had reasoned, she assumed, because the next thing out of her mouth was that they were watching the Fellowship, extended. Some small, sane part of her brain stopped her from declaring an entire marathon right then and there. Four hours was a lot to commit to, for a first time, let alone twelve. Stacie pulled her computer from her bag and pulled up the download she had, plugging it in to Aubrey’s TV to make sure it worked. She dashed off to the bathroom, headed into Aubrey’s room and stole a pair of sweatpants and a flannel, then reconsidered and grabbed all of the blankets and pillows before heading back out.

Stacie glanced at her watch. “It’s six PM now,” she said to herself. “Unless we decide to pause halfway through to get more snacks, or make real food, we should be done around ten, which isn’t too bad, if I do say so myself.” She glanced up at Aubrey, who looked absolutely floored. “You might want a bathroom run now, before we get started. Also I stole one of your flannels.”

Aubrey was speechless for a moment and Stacie watched a bit nervously as the emotions flitted across her friend’s face. “Four hours?” Aubrey had asked, confusion knitting her brow.

Stacie figured it was best not to give her an opportunity to argue. “Yeah,” she replied firmly. “And two more after that. You’re lucky I’m not making you watch all three right now. Go pee and then get your cute butt back here. We have an adventure to go on.” She most certainly enjoyed watching that cute butt as it walked away. Stacie let out a squeal of excitement before hopping onto the couch and grabbing her glass of wine and the blanket.

“Won’t it be boring to see it again?” Aubrey asked her when they came back.

Stacie’s eyes widened. “Not at all,” she admitted. “It’s almost like getting to watch it again for the first time with someone who hasn’t seen it all before. It’s one of my favorites. I watch them all the time honestly.”

Aubrey stared at her for a moment, an unreadable expression on her face before she rolled her eyes. “Nerd,” she accused before falling on to the other side of the couch and scooting under the blanket.

After a moment of nothing happening, Stacie jumped back up. “Computer,” she said with a nervous laugh, before taking the two long steps, clicking play, and then diving back to the couch.

_The world is changed._  
_I feel it in the water._  
_I feel it in the earth._  
_I smell it in the air._  
_Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it._

Stacie reached out, clutching Aubrey’s foot under the blanket, silently mouthing the words along with the movie, her eyes shining with excitement.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter. Feels. Bear with me.

~S~ 

_Mordor... I hope the others find a safer road._  
 _Strider'll look after them._  
 _I don't suppose we'll ever see them again._  
 _We may yet, Mr. Frodo. We may._  
 _Sam... I'm glad you're with me._

Aubrey turned her head slowly to stare at Stacie, tears in her eyes. “It’s over?” she whispered.   
Stacie stretched, slowly detangling herself from Aubrey. “There’s two more movies,” she said, standing with a groan and stretching languidly.   
Aubrey sunk further into the blankets, chewing on her lip. “Pee break, popcorn, movie two?” she suggested hopefully.  
Stacie laughed that full belly laugh that Aubrey loved so much. “You’re hooked, hun,” Stacie commented. She hauled Aubrey off of the couch and into her arms. “If we go for the full marathon, we’ll be done around 6am.”  
Aubrey shrugged, looping her own arms around Stacie’s neck. “I’ve got nowhere to be for the next few days, nothing on my plate for work. Why not make some bad decisions with one of my closest friends?” she countered, raising an eyebrow.   
Stacie found she could hardly breath, looking into Aubrey’s sparkling eyes. “Whoever said it was a bad decision?” she teased finally. “I encourage it.” She winked.  
“Are you flirting with me, Miss Conrad?”  
“Do I ever not?”  
Aubrey paused, looking thoughtful. Stacie coughed and dropped her arms from around Aubrey before heading off to busy herself in the kitchen, hoping that Aubrey hadn’t noticed her blush. “Stace?” Aubrey called gently.  
Stacie stilled at her name before taking a slow, unsteady breath. She looked across the expanse between them and saw a confused expression on Aubrey’s face. “Do you remember what you told Beca last year in Copenhagen, after we won?” she asked quietly. Noting the growingly bewildered look Aubrey was giving her, she added, “Tell her how you feel? Take the risk?”  
Aubrey nodded slowly, recognition warring with how that related to the sudden shift in conversation now. She certainly wasn’t making this easy on Stacie. “I’m, uh, taking that risk now, I guess. Hadn’t planned on it, really, but who ever does?” Stacie continued, rambling now. She fidgeted with the bag of popcorn she had pulled from the box, not opening it but not putting it down. “I don’t really know when it happened, I just sort of realized somewhere along the way that I had, I dunno, feelings towards you, or for you or whatever, I guess. You’re incredible and I have so much respect for you. You know what you want and you’re not afraid to go after it. You’re intelligent and driven and yet kind, caring, and compassionate. You’re the greatest friend anyone could ask for.”   
She couldn’t look up to meet Aubrey’s eyes. “I know you don’t feel the same way towards me, and I don’t expect you to. I’m working on getting over it thought. I just, sometimes it catches me off guard, I guess?”  
“Oh.”  
Stacie winced. That hadn’t been a good ‘oh.’ “I really value our friendship, Aubs, and I don’t want to fuck that up, you know?” The silence dragged on and Stacie chewed her lip. She shouldn’t have said anything. “I’ll just go. I made things awkward. I’m sorry.”  
“There’s a hurricane and flooding. You can’t go,” Aubrey finally said. Stacie glanced over, but Aubrey wouldn’t meet her eye. “I’m going to go to bed. Couch or air mattress is yours. You know where to find both.”  
“Right,” whispered Stacie as she watched Aubrey leave and close the door to her bedroom. “Way to fuck up a perfectly wonderful week Stace. Go me.” She high fived herself and set about cleaning up, desperately needing to do something with her hands.


	4. Chapter 4

~A~

It was like her brain shorted out. Aubrey heard the words Stacie was saying, about the feelings and latched on to the only thing she knew she had a response for. It was a safety issue. Stacie couldn’t leave, not in this weather. The rain hadn’t let up at all during the entire movie and Aubrey had occasionally checked her phone to make note of the road closure notifications that were popping up regularly. It would be impossible for Stacie to actually _get_ home, let alone get there _safely_. But that’s all she could handle and she’d walked into her bedroom and closed the door after herself.

Aubrey found herself staring at the empty bed, remembering that the pillows and blankets were on the couch where they’d been cuddled up watching the movie. _Oh god_ , she thought to herself, _we were cuddling. Mixed signals much, Bree?_ She sunk onto the end of her bed and put her head in her hands. This wasn’t The Plan. Stacie wasn’t in The Plan.

Eventually, Aubrey roused herself enough to fetch her old journals from the shelf on her desk. She flipped through quickly, knowing exactly what she was looking for, but not sure if she wanted find it.

 

Hours later, Aubrey was sitting back on the corner of her bed, head in her hands. Her thoughts were a whirlwind of emotions battling with reason and logic. She hadn’t been able to fall asleep; hadn’t really tried, if she was being completely honest. Aubrey felt guilty for leaving Stacie in such an emotional lurch, but she had been so blindsided by Stacie’s admission that she’d just reacted and ran away. She still wasn’t sure what to do about the situation. With a final sigh, she replaced her last journal on the shelf, taking a moment to make sure they were sorted chronologically still. When she could stall no longer, Aubrey cracked open her door.

The rest of the cabin was dark, save for one strand of the under-cabinet lights in the kitchen. Aubrey could just make out Stacie leaned against the counter, a mug of something clutched in her hands and a blanket draped around her shoulders. She padded over into the kitchen space and greeted the other woman with a quiet, “Hey.” She leaned against the island, opposite Stacie such that their feet were almost touching.

“Hi,” Stacie whispered back. “Look, I’m sorr-”

Aubrey raised her hand to gently cut the other woman off. “I shouldn’t have walked out like that. You caught me off guard. I’m sorry, Stace.”

Stacie smiled gently. “It’s alright. I kind of caught myself off guard. I hadn’t planned on saying anything.”

“Why not?” asked Aubrey.

Stacie sipped her tea, contemplating the answer. “I always admired you during undergrad. You kicked the asses of a ragtag bunch of misfits into a cohesive, competitive group that eventually grew into a family. Since then, you’ve become one of my closest friends. We’ve been through hell and back again together. I feel like I can be _me_ around you. I don’t want to lose that friendship, for any reason.” Stacie took another sip of her tea, still not meeting Aubrey’s eyes. “I guess I also figured it would be less painful to fall out of whatever _this_ is,” she added, waving her fingers vaguely at herself, “than to have you say you didn’t feel the same way.”

“I was looking forward to a fun week hanging out with you, getting a chance to really catch up, you know, and talk about everything and nothing at all and new favorite books and the family of owls that nested outside your window in the spring and the crazy antics of my lab techs and instead, I’ve gone and just made it uncomfortable,” Stacie continued. She blew out a puff of air. “And now, I’m keeping you up and I stole your blankets and pillows. I fucked up.”

“Stacie,” Aubrey cut in quietly. “Look at me Stacie, please.” When Stacie finally dragged her eyes up from her mug to look at Aubrey, there was no mistaking the tears standing in the corners of her eyes. Aubrey took a breath to calm herself before pushing off of the island behind her to take a step closer to Stacie.

She reached out gently, cupping the other woman’s elbows and rubbing small, soothing circles on her arms, hoping to calm Stacie. From this angle, she noted, with her feet on either side of Stacie’s, with Stacie leaned back on the counter, Aubrey was, for once, slightly taller. She looked down into Stacie’s green eyes, wondering how she had missed the tiny flecks of gold before. Seeming to find what she had been looking for, Aubrey smiled. “You haven’t fucked anything up. I shouldn’t have walked away earlier. I’m sorry. Please take a breath.”

Stacie sucked in air, her eyes still locked on Aubrey’s, a look of desperation in them. “I got freaked out,” Aubrey continued, knowing she had to lay it all out now, before Stacie spiraled even further down into despair. “I have this, well, _list_ , I guess. It’s The Plan,” even the way Aubrey said it, Stacie could hear the capital letters and it’s importance. “It laid out everything I wanted and my timetables and pretty much planned out my life. The Lodge kind of threw The Plan through a loop, but I figured, I still had everything else. Owning my own business ended up being a different sort than I’d planned, but I could still do the perfect house and the perfect job and the perfect husband. After my last relationship, that guy Mark that I was with for a while? I sat down and really had a heart to heart with myself about what I wanted in a relationship and that became part of The Plan too.”

“You see,” Aubrey said, trying to force a casualness she wasn’t feeling, “I wanted a man who is driven and passionate, has stability in his life, but also a man who shared at least some of my interests, who I was comfortable enough to be myself around, who makes me laugh, who is a _friend_. I wanted to be with someone who I already knew. And as I looked through that list, I realized something.” Aubrey chuckled to herself, a slightly sad sound. “ _You’re_ one of my best friends. You’ve got this incredible passion for all things science and a love of music and living life. I love spending time with you. I feel more relaxed and free and we can laugh about anything and everything. You know me, the _real_ me. All of those things I was looking for in a man, those are _you_ , Stace.”

“So Stacie,” Aubrey continued quietly, carefully taking Stacie’s mug of tea and placing on the counter top behind her. She felt Stacie’s hand on her upper arm, the slight tremble comforting Aubrey, knowing that she wasn’t the only one nervous. “When you said I’m the sort of person that knows what I want and I go after it, that it means that I want to when I do this,” she said, cupping Stacie’s face and kissing her forehead gently. “Or this,” she added, placing a kiss on her nose. “Or this,” this kiss was placed on Stacie’s cheek.

Aubrey pulled back slightly to take in Stacie’s face. The brunette’s eyes were wide with wonder as she her focus shifted back and forth between Aubrey’s eyes and lips. “Breathe,” commanded Aubrey again, her own voice breathy. When she felt Stacie take a breath, she nodded. “Stacie, may I kiss you?” Aubrey finally asked. She was sure her own trembling hands were dead give away about how nervous and yet excited she was.

Stacie nodded.

Their lips met tentatively.

Looking back, Aubrey swears she almost missed Stacie’s lips when she leaned forward. In that instant though, Aubrey felt her world move, a slight polaric shift that somehow clicked everything from Functional into Right.

All of their past interactions and experiences, the whole of their futures spiraled around them. The kiss could have lasted a moment or a century, but Aubrey could never be sure.

They drew back, their shaky breaths mingling in the space between them. “Wow,” croaked Stacie.

Aubrey chuckled. She brushed her thumbs over Stacie’s cheekbones, taking the opportunity to look the other woman in the eyes. The look of wonder she saw in Stacie’s eyes startled her with it’s intensity. Suddenly, she was bringing her mouth back to Stacie’s, wanting the other woman to know that she felt the same way and knowing that words would not be enough to convey the depth of her own emotions.

Unlike their first kiss, this was not tentative. It was like a bolt of lightning through Aubrey as she felt her own breath hitch in the back of her throat at the first lick of Stacie’s tongue on her lower lip. One of Aubrey’s hands moved to cradle the back of Stacie’s head, deepening the kiss. Stacie’s hands came to rest on Aubrey’s hips before pulling the other woman more firmly into her. There were hums and murmurs of approval as they explored each other’s mouths and bodies.

They both broke the kiss with a gasp for air. Aubrey lowered her head to Stacie’s shoulder with another giggle while Stacie placed a chaste kiss on her jaw and nuzzled in. They stood like that for a few minutes, enjoying each other’s warmth. At some point, Aubrey had managed to get Stacie’s blanket wrapped around the both of them.

“What are we, in middle school or something?” Aubrey said between giggles and panting breaths. Stacie snickered in reply and wrapped her arms more firmly around Aubrey’s waist. “I’m giddy from just kissing you, Stace. Why haven’t we done this before?”

“Heteronormativity?” suggested Stacie. She peppered more kisses along Aubrey’s jaw and neck until Aubrey jumped with a squeak and pushed Stacie’s head away. “Are you ticklish?” Stacie asked incredulously.

Aubrey’s extended “Nooo,” cut off with a shriek at the loud raspberry that Stacie planted in the same spot on the other woman’s neck. Aubrey retaliated in the only way that made sense; by grabbing Stacie’s face with both of her hands again and kissing her firmly. She smiled into the kiss though, as her hands dropped and found the ticklish spot she knew about on Stacie’s sides. The strangled yelp that Stacie lets out had Aubrey cackling. She attempted to placate Stacie with more kisses, but the fact that she was still ticking the other woman meant that she was failing miserably.

“Truce! Truce!” Stacie begs, somewhere between laughing and yelping. “Truce,” she offers again, panting, when Aubrey stopped and looked at her with one eyebrow cocked and a smirk on her face. “You win, you win. I swear I’ll never tickle you again,” Stacie offered.

“You and I both know that’s a lie, Miss Conrad,” Aubrey said airily. But she was rubbing firmer circles in the places she just tickled, trying to ease the ticklish sensitivity she knew Stacie was still feeling. She leaned forward and rubbed the tip of her nose gently against Stacie’s before stealing another kiss. “I _like_ kissing you,” Aubrey added softly, and Stacie couldn’t help but pull the other woman into a strong hug.

They stay like that for a while, arms wrapped around each other, holding each other close, the only sound the rain that is steadily pounding down outside.


	5. Chapter 5

~S~

Stacie could hardly believe that she’s  _ kissed  _ Aubrey Posen. Repeatedly. And it certainly sounded like there would be more of that to come. Aubrey  _ liked  _ kissing  _ her _ . “I think my butt’s getting flat,” she mumbled into Aubrey’s shoulder and she heard the other woman snort indelicately. 

“Your ass is anything but flat,” Aubrey replied cheekily. She pulled back from the hug a bit to grin at Stacie, seemingly proud of herself for the compliment.

Stacie couldn’t help but roll her eyes but she knew she couldn’t wipe the grin off of her face either. She was still reeling emotionally from the kissing and the hugging and all of the, well, feelings she was uh, feeling. She winced mentally.  _ A+ word use from a scientist. Aren’t scientists supposed to be smart?  _ she thought to herself. “It’s flat from leaning on your counter, Aubs,” she finally said instead. 

“Oh.  _ Oh! _ ” Aubrey replied, her eyes going wide in sudden understanding and she stepped back so that Stacie could lever herself off of the counter. Stacie heard the slight noise of disappointment Aubrey made at the loss of contact and, possibly, the blanket. 

As the brunette stretched, she could feel Aubrey’s eyes on her. “Enjoying the view?” she teased and was pleased with the “mhmm” she heard in return. 

“You’re taller than me,” Aubrey commented absently, entering back into the circle of Stacie’s arms and cuddling in. She rubbed her nose along Stacie’s jawline and Stacie couldn’t stop the hum of contentment if she wanted to, which she doesn’t. 

“I’ve always been taller than you,” Stacie mumbled back, enjoying the goosebumps that she could feel flutter their way down her arms at Aubrey’s touch. Aubrey followed the path of her nose with a series of light kisses and suddenly, Stacie was weak at the knees. “Couch,” she croaked, pulling Aubrey away from her by the back of the woman’s shirt. “Couch or I’m going to end up on your floor,” she reiterated when Aubrey hesitated, clearly wanting to resume the kissing. 

At that, Aubrey chuckled and took Stacie by the hands to guide her around the island over to the couch. Stacie watched as Aubrey collapsed into it with a dramatic sigh. “You’re beautiful,” Stacie said quietly, smiling softly that crinkled the corners of her eyes. She knelt down by Aubrey as the other woman pushed up onto her elbows, opening her mouth to argue or quip back, if her expression was any indication, and so Stacie leaned in and kissed her again. After a few minutes, when Stacie was sure that Aubrey wouldn’t attempt to deflect the compliment, she pulled back slightly. “Absolutely beautiful,” she repeated and the other woman blushed. This time, when she kissed Aubrey, she shifted herself up onto the edge of the couch, making sure their mouths never broke contact.

Kissing Aubrey, Stacie decided, was quickly dominating her list of favorite things to do or think about. The way their lips moved together, the softness of Aubrey’s lips, the way that Aubrey’s kisses were gentle yet certain, wanting yet not demanding. This time, it was Aubrey who licked into her mouth first, exploring, discovering what made Stacie tick. Their tongues danced around one another. It was  _ hot _ . She knew she couldn’t help the whimper that escaped her throat and she felt Aubrey smile into the kiss.

Stacie finally broke their kiss when she needed to breath. She let out a squeal of excited happiness, throwing her arms up in victory. The move turned into another languid stretch and she followed the movement back so that she flopped backward onto the other end of the couch, one arm cradling her head. She waved her fingers at Aubrey and grinned at the blonde. Aubrey made a noise of protest at the sudden distance between them before clambering over on top of Stacie. She planted another soft kiss on Stacie’s lips before dropping her weight onto the taller woman.

“Hello you,” Stacie said quietly, reaching up and tucking a few strands of loose hair out of Aubrey’s face. She could see Aubrey’s gentle smile in the dim light from the kitchen and enjoyed the feel of the woman leaning in to her touch.

“Hi,” Aubrey replied with a hum of appreciation. She crossed her arms over Stacie’s chest and leaned her chin on them. “You’re beautiful too,” she added. 

“Hmm, what?”

“You said I was beautiful earlier. Twice,” Aubrey said. “I wanted you to know that I think you’re beautiful too.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhmm. I think it was one of the first things I noticed about you,” said Aubrey. “Although, I might have looked at you and thought, ‘Damn she’s hot,’” she admitted, with a bit of a blush at the memory.

“You didn’t notice my shining personality first?” replied Stacie, feigning hurt. “You cut me real deep, Captain.”

“Oh yeah, I totally noticed the cuticle care and E Network, you liar,” shot back Aubrey. “Cuticle care and E Network, my ass.”

“Pssh, it wasn’t a lie,” scoffed Stacie. “I can like dumb network TV shows and chemical engineering and music and nail care all at once. I have a beating heart! I’m multidimensional! I am a fully realized creation!”

“Oh my god, you are such a nerd!” Aubrey laughed hard, her face buried in her arms. 

“That’s why you love me,” Stacie shot back with a shit eating grin and a wink.

They both froze, Stacie’s eyes going wide at what she just said aloud and Aubrey, for her part, look up slowly and takes Stacie’s face in with a curious expression. “Put a pin in it?” Aubrey offered and Stacie nodded emphatically. Stacie could feel the blush creeping up her neck and hoped that the low light hid it. Aubrey distangled one of her arms and poked Stacie in the nose with a quiet  _ Boop _ . 

“Did… did you just… ‘boop’ my nose?” Stacie asked incredulously.

Aubrey shrugged in response. “Your brain is going a mile a minute. Pin it. Take a breath. You’re ok. We’re ok. You didn’t fuck anything up.” When Stacie finally met Aubrey’s eyes again, she saw a gentle kindness there. Finally, she nodded in silent agreement and blew out a deep breath. Aubrey shuffled forward slightly and placed a soft kiss on Stacie’s nose, which Stacie scrunched in response. “Go back to kissing?” offered Aubrey.

Instead of replying, Stacie wrapped her arms around Aubrey and pulled her into another deep kiss. Stacie had always enjoyed making out, but it had often been a precursor to sex. She was pretty certain, though, that she could continue kissing Aubrey Posen, just kissing, for a very long time and never be bored. Her hands roamed across Aubrey’s back and shoulders, mapping and memorizing the other woman’s musculature. When her fingers brushed the skin between where Aubrey’s shirt had rode up and her pajamas, Stacie could feel Aubrey gasp into her mouth and fixedfist her hands into the front of Stacie’s shirt. The second time Stacie’s fingers outlined that patch of skin, she felt the shiver that ran the length of Aubrey’s body against her own. When she gently bit down on Aubrey’s lower lip, the blond pulled back with a moan, exposing her neck, which Stacie returned the favor from earlier, nuzzling and nipping the sensitive skin there. 

“Stace,” mumbled Aubrey between moans and whimpers. Stacie  _ hmm _ ed into the other woman’s neck but paused. “Stacie,” whispered Aubrey again. This time, Stacie pulled her face back to look Aubrey in the eyes. When Aubrey was sure she had Stacie’s attention she continued. “I don’t want to have sex tonight,” she said quietly.

Stacie blinked confusedly.  _ Was that where Aubrey assumed this was leading? _ she thought to herself. It wasn’t the first time that Stacie’s reputation had preceded her.

“It's been awhile,” Aubrey added after a moment, noting Stacie’s confusion. “And I’ve never had sex with a woman and while I do want that with you I don’t think, I mean, things are moving really quickly and, uh, I just wanted to get it out there before things go too far,” she continued, growing more flustered as she talked.

“Aubs, it’s ok,” Stacie replied with a sigh of relief. It wasn’t her reputation at all. There was understanding in Stacie’s eyes that immediately calmed Aubrey’s nerves. “I don’t think I’m there yet either. Although I do look forward to it when we’re both ready.” She reached up and brushed a few strands of Aubrey’s hair back behind her ear. “These don’t like to stay back,” she commented absently.

“You’re ok with waiting?” Aubrey asked, just to be sure. She leaned in to Stacie’s hand on her cheek, then turned to kiss the brunette’s palm.

“I haven’t had sex in almost two years. It’s not my top priority anymore,” Stacie admitted with a shrug. 

Aubrey blinked. “Two years?” she repeated.

Stacie sighed and nodded. She shuffled for a moment and Aubrey scooched off of her so that they could both sit up. Stacie propped her chin in her hands and her elbows on her knees as Aubrey tucked her feet under herself, leaned back against the couch so that she was facing Stacie. “Yeah. I kind of swore off sex and then dating in general after a pregnancy scare,” Stacie finally said. “Remember when my lab was working with that outside company and I mentioned their one project lead was a really rad dude? We went on a few dates after the project was finished and our companies were no longer involved. 

“I’d just switched birth control meds so we made sure to use condoms and one broke,” Stacie continued. “No big, until my period was a week and a half late. Between that and making sure I got all the STI tests and stuff, I realized it just wasn’t worth it. He wasn’t that great in bed and sex had just kinda gotten boring, which probably means I should have found ways of spicing things up, but I didn’t have a partner I trusted enough. So I swore off sex and dating followed pretty quick when I realized just how many of my dates wanted to get through the dinner and whatever just to fall into bed.” Stacie threw a sad smile at Aubrey and a half-assed thumbs up. “So yeah, cool with waiting until we’re both ready.”

Aubrey reached out and grabbed one of Stacie’s hands, bringing the thumb to her lips. “Why didn’t you tell anyone? Me, or the Bellas during USO?” she asked softly. 

Stacie shrugged. “I didn’t think anything of it, and honestly, we were all a bit obsessed with the Beca and Chloe drama and I didn’t really want to bring that up. Plus the abduction, the performances, you know. There was a lot going on and it was already months old at that point and I’d pretty much gotten over it. I still flirt like a teenager that just realized the power of boobs.” 

“What about me?” Aubrey asked.

Stacie shrugged again “It just never came up,” she said. “I wasn’t purposefully avoiding it, but it wasn’t something that seemed overly important at the time. In retrospect, it changed a lot, but they aren’t necessarily bad changes.”

“I haven’t had sex or dated anyone since Mark,” Aubrey offered. 

“He was the corporate guy you started seeing not long after we got back from USO right?” Stacie asked. “You guys were gorgeous together.”

Aubrey nodded. “Yeah, we were. Right and proper Barbie and Ken, the perfect power couple. Except he didn’t like that I owned my own business. He thought I should marry him and go be a housewife and raise our beautiful two-point-five kids at our perfect house in perfect suburbia with the perfect little white picket fence,” Aubrey said, the disgust clearly written on her face, but the words were dull.

“But you love the Lodge,” Stacie shot back, startled. “This place is the best thing that’s ever happened to you-”

“And therapy and anxiety meds, but go on,” added Aubrey. 

“Well yeah, that stuff is deffo important, but I mean the Lodge is… I’ve never seen you as content as you are when you’re working here.” Stacie reached out and grabbed one of Aubrey’s hands and brought it to her own lap. She flipped it palm up and began tracing a finger across Aubrey’s palm and fingers. “Every one of these callouses,” Stacie said quietly, “you gotten from here. They are a testament to the hard work and dedication you’ve put in here. You work hard and it's exhausting but-”

“It’s good, honest work,” Aubrey finished. “I love what I do here. I found a peace that I didn’t know was possible.” She leaned back, pulling Stacie with her. “Anyone who dates me needs to understand that. I rewrote The Plan because of Mark and that was one of my biggest problems with our relationship.”

“Took you forever to get rid of him too,” Stacie commented dryly.

“Yeah, turns out he was a real dick when he wasn’t getting his way,” Aubrey agreed. “God, he sucked.”

Stacie laughed loudly at that. “Becs and Chlo were so happy when you broke up with him. Pretty sure Chloe tried to convince Becs to let her throw you a party.”

It was Aubrey’s turn to laugh. She nuzzled into Stacie’s side. “He’s so far out of the picture at this point that he’s-” her statement was cut off with a huge yawn.

“Fuck, Aubs, that’s not fa-a-air,” Stacie started, but her last word was extended by her own jaw cracking yawn. She lifted her wrist to check her watch. “When the hell did it get so late?” she asked no one in particular. She blinked heavily, suddenly feeling the late hour. 

“Can we sleep together?” asked Aubrey, covering another yawn. She paused when Stacie giggled. “I didn’t mean  _ sleep together _ . Just sleep together,” Aubrey added, gesturing vaguely with both hands. She frowned when that didn’t seem to clear things up as Stacie laughed harder. 

“I got what you mean, hun. Yes we can cuddle,” Stacie replied, trying to school her face but failing as she laughed again. “Sleep together,” she mumbled, mimicking Aubrey’s hand motions with a cackle. “Back in a mo’.” She hopped up, placating Aubrey’s grumbles about being left alone on the couch with a quick kiss and a wink. 

By the time Stacie returned from the bathroom, fetching two glasses of water, and shutting the remaining lights, Aubrey was already sprawled up along the length of the couch. Stacie stood a few extra moments with a small smile on her face and decided it wasn’t worth moving them to the bed. Aubrey looked far too comfortable. After another moment’s consideration, Stacie slid in next to Aubrey and the other woman tucked herself into Stacie’s side, draping an arm and a leg over Stacie’s body. They shared a brief kiss, and rubbed the tips of their noses across each other before falling into an immediate, deep sleep.


End file.
